Ice making apparatus

ABSTRACT

Centrifugal ice-freezing apparatus including a plurality of flexible or otherwise deformable molds or pockets disposed in circular array, and having open portions presented radially inwardly toward a central axis about which they are rotatable. Means is provided for filling the pockets, and for rotating them to retain water therein by centrifugal force. While rotating, the molds are flexed and pivoted to ice freezing position, and are subjected to below freezing temperatures until the water is frozen. Upon freezing of the water, rotation is halted to accommodate both flexing and pivoting of the molds to ice ejecting position.

United States Patent 13,577,745

[72] lnventor Elmer W. Zearfoss, Jr. [56] References Cited [2]] A l N ggg gp a, Pa. UNITED STATES PATENTS PP [22] Filed May 23,1969 2,986,013 5/1961 Zearfoss, Jr. 62/72 [45] Patented May 4, 1971 Primary Examiner-William E. Wayner [7 3] Assignee Philco-Ford Corporation At'torney--Car11-1. Synnestvedt Philadelphia, Pa.

ABSTRACT: Centrifugal ice-freezing apparatus including a plurality of flexible or otherwise deformable molds or pockets disposed in circular array, and having open portions presented radially inwardly toward a central axis about which they are [54] [CE MAKING g rotatable. Means is provided for filling the pockets, and for 7Cla'ms6D'awmg rotating them to retain water therein by centrifugal force. [52] US. Cl 62/345, While rotating, the molds are flexed and pivoted to ice freez- 62/72 ing position, and are subjected to below freezing temperatures [51] Int. Cl F25c 1/10 until the water is frozen. Upon freezing of the water, rotation [50] Field ofSearch 62/353, is halted to accommodate both flexing and pivoting of the 345, 72 molds to ice ejecting position.

ICE MAKING APPARATUS CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED DISCLOSURE This invention is directed to improvements in ice making apparatus of the type disclosed and claimed in my US. Pat. No. 2,986,013, issued May 30, 1961, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The field of the invention is ice making, and more particularly apparatus for automatically freezing and harvesting ice masses. While of broader applicability, apparatus of this invention has particular utility in the field of household refrigerators.

It is a general objective of the invention to provide improvements in ice-molding and -harvesting means of the kind in which power for harvesting the ice masses is derived from sequential accelerative and decelerative movements of the mold. The referenced disclosure has taught that harvesting may be achieved through automatic flexure and pivotation of a centrifugal mold, and the present invention contemplates improved structure for achieving such flexure and pivotation of the mold.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention contemplates in a preferred embodiment thereof, improvements in ice m'old structure of the kind including a plurality of flexible pockets disposed in generally circular array, which pockets have open portions presented radially inwardly toward means defining a central axis about which the mold is rotatable. In especial accordance with the invention, each of the flexible pockets is supported by a leaf spring extending between opposed peripheral edge portions of a pocket. The pocket-supporting leaf spring is carried in the region of its center by a second leaf spring which is cantilevered and which, when the mold is at rest, extends upwardly to a position such that the open side of the supported pockets face, or are angled, slightly downwardly. This facilitates discharge of ice masses therefrom. Means is provided for filling the mold pockets with water, at which time the pockets are rotated to retain the water centrifugally therein. In response to centrifuging of the mold the said cantilevered leaf spring members flex downwardly and the leaf springs are bowed, forcing the supported edge portions of each pocket to a distorted position which the pocket occupies during the freezing of ice therein. After freezing the mold is decelerated and the pockets return to undistorted downwardly angled position. Flexure of the mold pockets, as they return from distorted toward undistorted position, loosens the ice masses which are then free to slide out of the downwardly angled pockets.

The foregoing as well as other features and advantages of the invention will be more clearly understood from a consideration of the following description, taken in light of the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side elevational showing, in section, of a domestic refrigerator including ice-making and -harvesting apparatus embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a somewhat enlarged perspective showing, with parts removed, of the ice-making and -harvesting apparatus seen in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view, partly in section, of a portion of the ice-making apparatus seen in FIG. 2, as viewed generally in the direction of arrows 3-3 applied to FIG. 2, and showing an operational feature of the apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a view of a portion of the ice-making and -harvesting apparatus seen in FIG. 3 as seen looking generally in the direction of arrows 4-4 applied thereto; and

FIGS. 5 and 6 are views similar to FIGS. 3 and 4, respectively, and illustrating the apparatus shown in the preceding FIGS. under operating conditions subject to centrifugal force.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With more particular reference to FIG. 1, a refrigerator cabinet 10 of conventional design includes a food storage compartment 11 and a freezer compartment 12. A single evaporator 13 is disposed in an evaporator compartment adjacent the rear of freezer compartment 12, and a fan 14 is arranged to move air over evaporator 13 and through both the freezer compartment and the food compartment by way of suitably formed air duct means, such air movement being indicated generally by flow arrows. Evaporator 13 is connected, in the usual series refrigerant flow circuit, with a conventional refrigerant expansion device (not shown), and a motor compressor 15 and condenser 16 disposed in a suitable compartment through which air is drawn by a fan 19. Conveniently, the refrigerator is automatically defrostable, and includes means (not shown) for heating evaporator 13, and drain conduit means 17 arranged to direct defrost water into a disposal pan 18 also located in the condensing unit compartment.

In particular accordance with the invention, ice masses, or cubes, are frozen in mold means 22 carried by the rotatable shaft 23 of a motor 24 conveniently mounted in the region of the upper wall 25 of cabinet 10. A container 26 is disposed upon the floor of freezer compartment 12 and beneath mold means 22. Ice cubes will fall from the mold means into the container, to be stored therein, in accordance with principles of the invention described more fully below.

With particular reference to FIG. 2, the ice mold means 22 comprises an open-top, generally cylindrical receptacle 27 mounted for rotatable movements about a vertically extending axis upon the similarly extending motor shaft 23. Upwardly angled leaf springs 31 are supported from the rim portion of receptacle 27 and terminate in transversely extending leaf spring members 32 that support mold pockets or members 33, through screws S that extend into tabs 34 provided at opposite rim portions of the cups 33.

A plurality of generally radially presented nozzles 35, one for each mold cup 33, are provided in the upper rim portion of receptacle 27, and communicate with the interior of the latter. Each nozzle 35 is angled slightly with respect to the vertical midplane of an associated mold cup 33, in the direction of rotation of motor shaft 23. The construction and arrangement is such that as motor 24 is energized to rotate receptacle 27, streams of water are directed centrifugally into the mold cups. The angular disposition of the nozzles compensates for the tendency of the streams of water to lag the nozzles.

Apparatus for metering water for charging the mold means 22 may be of known suitable type, the requirements of such apparatus being such that it provides sufficient water to fill each of the mold cups 33 for each filling of receptacle 27. No description of the metering apparatus will be undertaken,

. other than to indicate fragmentarily the provision of a fill pipe 36 extending into the central opening of receptacle 27. Also, it will be understood that energy for driving motor 24 may be obtained from a voltage supply V, under the control of a timer 37 and switch 38 of known suitable construction.

With particular reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, as the streams of water fill the rotating mold cups 33, the mass of the water causes each cup to be flexed so that its supported rim portions move toward one another, such flexure being accommodated by bowing of the leaf spring 32 (compare FIGS. 4 and 6) extending across the cup. Concurrent with this mold cup flexure, upwardly deflected leaf springs 31 flex downwardly to a substantially horizontal position (FIG. 5), maintaining substantial verticality of the plane of the opening of each mold cup 33. After centrifuging of the mold means for a suitable time, at a suitable temperature below the freezing point of water, motor 24 is deenergized, whereupon the rotating mold cups 33 decelerate to rest position. In so doing, leaf springs 32 spanning the openings of the mold cups 33 move back to rest positions (FIG. 4), permitting the sides of the mold cups to return or spread to their undistorted rest positions. Concun rent with this flexure, the horizontally flexed springs 31 deflect upwardly to their rest positions shown in FIGS. 2 to 4. This upward movement of the support springs tilts the open parts of the mold cup 33, which movement, in combination with flexure of the sides of the mold cups ejects the ice mass M (FIG. 3), which drops from the mold and into the receptacle below.

To facilitate ejection of the ice masses, or cubes, from mold cups 33, a pad 39 of thermally insulative material is affixed to the rear of each mold cup to ensure that water in this region of the mold will be the last to freeze, whereupon it expands and aids in release of the ice mass from the surface of the mold. A mold cup 33 made of polytetrafluoroethylene, available under the trademark Teflon," has been found suitable and foam polyurethane has been found suitable for the insulative pad 39. The members 31 and 32 may be of spring steel of suitable guage and configuration.

Iclaim:

1. Apparatus for use in the cyclic production of individual ice masses, comprising: a plurality of concave, flexible and resilient mold members disposed about and having their concave portions presented toward a common axis; flexible and resilient means disposed and adapted to support said mold members from the regions of opposite rim portions thereof, in the recited axial orientation, said means including a leaf spring extending across the open side of a mold member and a' pivotable support arm for said leaf spring affixed at its free end to an intermediate portion of said spring, said means providing both for distorting movements of such rim portions toward one another substantially in the plane of rotation thereof, and for pivotal movements thereof in directions generally perpendicular to the recited plane of rotation, in response to centrifuging of said mold members; means for centrifuging said mold members about said axis to hold the water therein and to flex said mold members from an empty, rest position to a pivoted position in which the mold members have a distorted configuration to which water held therein conforms while it is frozen; and means providing for deceleration of said distorted and pivoted mold members, for accommodating return of said members to their recited rest positions, whereby ice masses are stripped from the mold members as the latter return from distorted to rest position.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 and characterized further in that said support arm comprises a deflectible leaf spring.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, and characterized in that the recited axis of rotation is generally vertical, and in that said mold members are pivotable upwardly to rest position and downwardly to water freezing position.

4. In ice-making apparatus of the type including a plurality of concave flexible and resilient mold members having their concave portions presented toward a common axis, and means for centrifuging said members to retain water therein as it is subjected to below-freezing temperature, the improvement comprising: flexible and resilient means disposed and adapted to support said mold members from regions of opposite rim portions thereof, in the recited axial orientation, said means comprising a leaf spring extending across the open side of a mold member, and a cantilevered, vertically movable support arm for said leaf spring affixed at its free end to a central portion of said spring, said means being operable upon the recited centrifuging of said members to provide both for vertical pivotal movements of said mold members and for distorting movements of such rim portions toward one another substantially in the plane of rotation thereof; and means operable to terminate the centrifuging and provide for deceleration of said distorted vertically pivoted mold members, to accommodate movement of such rim portions away from one another and for pivotation of said members, whereby ice masses are stripped from the mold members.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 and characterized further in that said support arm comprises a vertically deflectible leaf spring.

6. In centrifugal ice mold apparatus, a mold pocket comprising: a generally cup-shaped member of flexible and resilient material; leaf spring means extending generally diametrically across the open region of said member and affixed to the latter in the region of confronting edge portions terized by the inclusion of a region of relatively low thermal conductivity on said cup-shaped member. 

1. Apparatus for use in the cyclic production of individual ice masses, comprising: a plurality of concave, flexible and resilient mold members disposed about and having their concave portions presented toward a common axis; flexible and resilient means disposed and adapted to support said mold members from the regions of opposite rim portions thereof, in the recited axial orientation, said means including a leaf spring extending across the open side of a mold member and a pivotable support arm for said leaf spring affixed at its free end to an intermediate portion of said spring, said means providing both for distorting movements of such rim portions toward one another substantially in the plane of rotation thereof, and for pivotal movements thereof in directions generally perpendicular to the recited plane of rotation, in response to centrifuging of said mold members; means for centrifuging said mold members about said axis to hold the water therein and to flex said mold members from an empty, rest position to a pivoted position in which the mold members have a distorted configuration to which water held therein conforms while it is frozen; and means providing for deceleration of said distorted and pivoted mold members, for accommodating return of said members to their recited rest positions, whereby ice masses are stripped from the mold members as the latter return from distorted to rest position.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 and characterized further in that said support arm comprises a deflectible leaf spring.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 2, and characterized in that the recited axis of rotation is generally vertical, and in that said mold members are pivotable upwardly to rest position and downwardly to water freezing position.
 4. In ice-making apparatus of the type including a plurality of concave flexible and resilient mold members having their concave portions presented toward a common axis, and means for centrifuging said membErs to retain water therein as it is subjected to below-freezing temperature, the improvement comprising: flexible and resilient means disposed and adapted to support said mold members from regions of opposite rim portions thereof, in the recited axial orientation, said means comprising a leaf spring extending across the open side of a mold member, and a cantilevered, vertically movable support arm for said leaf spring affixed at its free end to a central portion of said spring, said means being operable upon the recited centrifuging of said members to provide both for vertical pivotal movements of said mold members and for distorting movements of such rim portions toward one another substantially in the plane of rotation thereof; and means operable to terminate the centrifuging and provide for deceleration of said distorted vertically pivoted mold members, to accommodate movement of such rim portions away from one another and for pivotation of said members, whereby ice masses are stripped from the mold members.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 4 and characterized further in that said support arm comprises a vertically deflectible leaf spring.
 6. In centrifugal ice mold apparatus, a mold pocket comprising: a generally cup-shaped member of flexible and resilient material; leaf spring means extending generally diametrically across the open region of said member and affixed to the latter in the region of confronting edge portions thereof; and a cantilever-supported, deflectible leaf spring affixed to a generally central portion of said leaf spring means for supporting said cup-shaped member in position such that when it is empty its open region is inclined.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 6, and further characterized by the inclusion of a region of relatively low thermal conductivity on said cup-shaped member. 